When the ancient Persian poet* wrote:
"Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of Spring The Winter Garment of Repentance fling",
I don't think he had in mind our Floyd Spring which requires a different kind of fire these days.
I am grateful for the firewood still stacked on my front porch. In another month or two, I may consider moving it all back to the main wood pile where it can wait for the coming winter.
Our temperatures are still in the low 40s and I am happy to sit here working on the Internet with the gentle sounds of a wood stove as accompaniment to my typing.
The economy in our area is very tight, but I have managed to stay occupied. I am working with other local business owners to find ways we can cut costs by using each others resources more effectively. We are all looking to keep costs to a minimum by using local resources where possible.
Even so, I feel we will be hard put to make a profit this year. It is more a situation of hanging on by any means possible until we can figure out ways to add additional income streams. In this area I have lots of company and we are sharing ideas every week.
It is the usual situation of finding out what is needed and wanted and figuring out how to deliver it in a way that generates income. We will pull through, but we may will end up doing things that we hadn't anticipated. As the saying goes: we live in interesting times…
Another appropriate saying might be: Spring is here, but keep the home fires burning until Summer arrives in earnest.
*The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is a treasury of inspirational wisdom.